


Young and Reborn

by embarresing-writer (Yusho)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Christmas, Developing Relationship, Drunken Shenanigans, F/M, Female Felix, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Help, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'll probably go out of character at one point or another, New Years, Other, Out of Character, Party, Pre-Relationship, Sylvain Jose Gautier Being An Idiot, Sylvain dies, Sylvain the manwhore, Valentine's Day, no beta we die like Glenn, that's for you guys to decide though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 12:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21197948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yusho/pseuds/embarresing-writer
Summary: AU in which everyone is reborn into modern times and Sylvain tries to get a move onto Felicia, who is Felix reborn, it backfires instantly.





	1. Chapter 1

>>>It's cold, the rain is falling, as if it wanted to fit his mood right now. Not a mood in particular, but rather the hurting cold he feels right now. His chest aching from the axe that was just plunged in him, his back as he fell off his horse. He can barely breathe, the only thing he is able to see the dark sky, crying, as if it were for him. He can feel the blood in his mouth gathering as he tries to breathe through it.   
Ah, this is it. The last thing he hears, before he slips away for good is...<<<<

Sylvain shoots up in his bed, in cold sweat of that he was dreaming just now. He jumps out of his bed, clearly unhurt to watch himself in the mirror. His black PJ's are as disheveled as his bedhair. He's alive. No wounds anywhere. Why, in times like these, there wouldn't be really a reason to be hit with an axe, wouldn't there? He's pretty sure it's illegal to carry an axe around nowadays.   
He let's out a tired groan as he runs his hands through his hair, trying to at least fix it a bit before leaving his room.   
That dream felt so real, it's surreal, really.   
Sylvain grabbed his phone to check if anybody has texted him. There are messages, but not from important people. Mainly from girls he hooked up with. He spots the time. 5AM. He doesn't have to be awake for another 1 ½ hours.   
Fuck it, today he's the early bird.  
Sylvain turns his alarm off before heading to the bathroom to take a good morning shower. The bath is empty, he usually is the first one awake anyways, his parents have jobs that require them to work late day, so they usually sleep until 10-ish AM on a normal day.   
Sylvain closes the door behind him and locks it, before he starts to undress himself and head into the shower. The warm water feels good on his skin and honestly? It's calming after nother of these "You just fucking died"-dreams. Those started some time ago. He doesn't know why. He doesn't WANT to know, if he is honest with himself. It's always the same kind of dream. He dies, axe plunged into his body, said part of his body hurting like nothing he could describe, his lungs filling with blood.   
It feels too real. He hates it.  
When he is finally finished, he heads back to his room, only dressed in a towel, to slap himself some clothes on.   
A red shirt and plack pants will do today. His leather jacket will spice the whole thing up and boom, sexy Sylvain on his way to hunt the ladies. Although he thinks he's sexy even without styled hair and all that, he laughs to himself.  
Alas, today is just another school day, so the next busride to school it is. 

Sylvain is still WAAAY too early, but the facilities are already open for early birds. Noone's here, who would have guessed. Maybe some early training will do him good? His father forced him to join the weapon arts club, but he usually skips that in favour of girls, and when he doesn't, he is usually accompanied by a small fanclub of his. He doesn't know any of their names but they pine for him.

The only thing that illuminates the hallway right now are dim lights and Sylvains footsteps, that echo through them. The closer he gets to the traininghall, the louder is something to hear. Someone? Noone should be here around this time except for some teachers. Sylvain checks his phone. 6:30AM. None of the teachers train here in the morning as far as his informations go, so who the fuck?  
The voice get's louder, it is huffing and letting out some grunts in relative high pitch. A girl? Maybe it's Ingrid? But it doesn't sound like Igrid. She prefers to train after school, so who is it?  
He enters the hall's entrance area to change his shoes into training sneakers, and he notices another pair of shoes. They're small enough to fit a girl, but they don't look really girlish. Next to them is a bag that resembles a shield with a green plastic orb in the middle.  
>Hey, I think I know that anime!<, Sylvain thinks to himself, before opening the hallway door.  
In the middle of the hall, in dim light, there is a girl. The door slides pretty quietly, so she didn't notice Sylvain yet. Her hair was dark, glimmering dark blue in the dim light, held in place by a seemingly messy bun. She wore a white blouse from what Sylvain could tell and the usual skirt the school gave to girls because >if you'd bring your own skirt, there is a risk it could be too short!< and that whole sort. It's made to be worn high waisted, and so she does too. She doesn't wear any hall shoes, but her high thighs covered for that. Sylvain's never seen her before. She must be new.   
As he goes to turn the light a bit brighter, the floor creeks and he is almost hit with a wooden sword, right to his head!  
"Okay, Yikes?" He says as he turns to the girl, who seems taken off guard. "How about you don't sneak around an empty training hall you fucking idiot?!" she snarls at him. Sylvain just turns the light brighter before saying anything else. "Sorry, but I couldn't help myself wondering what beautiful lady would train already here at such an hour." he winks at her. She doesn't look very impressed. "Save your breath, I'm not interested." the new girl says coldly, while moving towards him. Or rather, the wooden sword. "And what would a philanderer like you do here at this ungodly hour?" she grabs her sword, without even looking at him. "You make some rude assumptions here." Sylvain laughs, already caught of his ways by the unknown beauty. Now she stares at him. Eyes golden, sharp, pretty annoyed. "Right. I don't know you. But I know guys LIKE you. Out of all the people I could have encountered first, it had to be the manwhore of the school."   
Sylvain was dumbfounded by the way she spoke. She has such a pretty face, yet, her words are sharp like a blade. Not many girls had BOTH. They where either pretty OR good with words, rarely both at once.

Sylvain sighed quietly, as the girl resumed to get into position in the middle of the hall. He took to the wooden weapons. "The "Manwhore" has a name, you know?" He said, grabbing a wooden lance that fitted.   
"And that would be?" the girl asked, not even looking at him or sounding interested. Cold. "Sylvain." he answered, spinning the lance in his hands, before moving infront of the girl, assuming position as well. "But I'd like to know your name, too." he humms, much to the girls apparent disgust. "Why should I tell you?" -- "Well I just told you mine?" -- "Doesn't imply I have to tell you mine too."   
This is going wrong on so many levels. Usually, most girls started flirting with him at this point. She just smacked him down in an instant.   
"Hey, I tell you what. If I defeat you in a training match, you'll tell me your name, is that alright for you?" Sylvain proposes playfully. "Fine." she hisses. "Challenge accepted."   
That went easier as he thought.   
The girl is swift with the blade, Sylvain struggles to block her attacks and to attack in turn. How does she move so good with only socks on?   
Socks. She doesn't have much footing in those. The next attack hits Sylvains lance and he decided to lean against it.   
The girls' golden eyes widen when she notices, that Sylvain is simply shoving her away. As she notices her lack of footing.  
She does have good footwork, but that doesn't help you when you slither away on the ground in high thighs, which where incredibly sexy, Sylvain might add.   
The bark haired girl tries desperately to lean against that, but Sylvain is taller, and stronger, and she doesn't have shoes on.  
The next moment, she is letting out a squeak as she hits the floor, sword falling from her hand and Sylvain is holding the lance under her chin.  
"It seems the mysterygirl is finally getting a name." he almost sings. Mysterygirl doesn't like it though. She let's out a noise of annoyance, not looking at Sylvain, before moving her lips. "Excuse me, but you need to speak louder, the hal is pretty big." He offers her a hand, she takes his. With the same movement he pulls her up, she begrudgingly tells him her name. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Felicia. At least that's what my stupid old man has named me." -- "Not your mother?" -- "Bitch's dead. Bit the dust after releasing me into this hellhole."  
Yeowch. She sounds like a "lovable" person. Well, at least "You're name's pretty. Just like you are." Sylvain winks at her and Felicia swats his head for that, taking her hand away from his. "I said I'm not interested. What are you, stupid?" she hisses at him. "Probably, but I'm also a honest man." -- "More like a manwhore." -- "Could you stop calling me that?" -- "What should I use then?" Felicia crosses her arms, checking the fingernails at her right hand, if they need any attention. She continues, without looking at him. "Idiot? Moron? Maybe retard? Slut?"   
Sylvain wants to cut in, but she doesn't stop. She is cold and annoyed at Sylvain, humiliating him further with names he honestly deserves. But they sting anyways. At one point, he places his hand above her mouth to shut her up. "Just Sylvain is fine, really. No need for special names."  
She grabs his wrist and yanks it away, so her mouth is free again. "Do that again and I'll bite down as hard as I can."  
He doesn't even want to imagine that, so he just nods. "What's your class? I need to know what room I need to avoid." Sylvain sighs and tells her. He thought she would be pleased by that information, but frankly, her eyebrows narrow and her already frowning face is frowning even more than before. She's displeased. They're in the same class, aren't they?  
Both of them let out a sigh in synch before heading back to the entrance area to put their normal shoes on, or in Felicias case: shoes at all. They both know they have to get along at least a bit, being in the same class. They head down the hallways, for once, Sylvain decides, not to say anything remotely flirty, at least in his view. "So, you're new here?" his hands fold behind his neck in a stretching motion as they walk. "Yes, if it wasn't obvious enough, I'm new." Right. They already established that. "From where are you?" -- "All over the world." -- "What do you mean by that?" Sylvains eyes look couriously at Felicia now. She acts like she couldn't give less shits and starts to explain briefly. "Well, I WAS born in Fodlan, but we started to move around alot after I turned 6. This is the 3rd, and hopefully last time I'm moving back here, I'm sick of moving." she lets out a short, angry huff.   
"That doesn't sound like a calm life, but hey, at least you got to see the world. I'd die to travel around the globe."   
Her eyes dart at him "I can arrange that." On that note, Sylvain takes a quick step to the side. Mainly because of her comment, but also because they reached their classroom.   
Sylvain opened the door. With a slight thud it stayed open, Sylvain waiting in front of the door "Ladies first." he humms playfully, while Felicia just rolls her eyes and enters.  
A few students are already there, mainly 3 girls, sharing a table, chatting away the morning, talking about their weekends.   
"And then Christophe just threw the damn thing into the-- Oh! Good morning Sylvain!" The silver haired girl turned around to greet him, followed by the other two. Mercedes and Annette. All of them cheerful as always.   
"Cheerful as every monday I see. Good morning."  
"Oh, you brought someone along!" Annette notices and waves at Felicia with a bright smile. Mercedes greets her as well with a similar motion, and so does Ashe.   
"May I introduce this lovely lady to you all, her name is--OW." Sylvains playful introduction of their new classmate was abruptly interrupted with a hard swat at the back of his head. "I can introduce myself you fucking degenerate." she turns to the group of 3. Her expression softens a bit to the slightly shocked but friendly, warm expressions of her new classmates. "My name is Felicia. Pleased to meet."   
A small round of introduction follows, Sylvain sits down at his table, only one left out from Ashes, where the group is conversing.  
They only did some smalltalk Sylvain did not put any ear to, like, honestly, why should he care, he just asked her the same questions.  
"Anyhow, do you know what table is free so I can unpack?"  
"Ah, the one right beside mine and Syl--" Ashe's answer to Felicias question was quickly turned down with a swift and harsh "No."   
"I fear it's the only one free though." Annette points out as more and more students take their seats, none left for Felicia. Noone gave her any attention as she sighed loudly.   
Sylvain decides to tune into the conversation again, as Felicia practically slumps into the chair besides Sylvain. "No need to worry, I won't bite." -- "Yes, I know." she let's him know, frown on her face "*I* will though." she snaps shortly after. Sylvain grins at her, now flirting again. "That sounds pretty kinky, maybe you shouldn't say these things out loud?"   
Before Felicia can even reach his head to hit him again, someone else did. "Flirty as ever, are we? Maybe you should focus your energy on the club instead of annoying the new girl." a stern voice scolded him. He turned around to look into jade green eyes, a pretty face, well, if she would wear make up it would be (How dare you Syl, Ingrid is a GODDESS), framed by thick, golden hair. "Jealous, 'Grid? I hope not! You know you'll--" -- "If you don't want a book in your face you better stop." she says harshly and he listens. He knows ingrid doesn't lie about such things. Ingrid let's her heavy bag fall onto the floor next to her seat, before trying to take a look at Felicia. "Im sorry, he always--" Ingrid stops. Felicia looks away from her. 'Grids eyes widen before her face takes on a troubled expression.   
Sylvain just looks back and forth between the two, Felicia avoiding eye contact with Ingrid.  
Sylvains blonde haired friend just let's out a silent, worried "Oh no." before Felicia turns to her. "What, 'Oh no.'?" she snaps at Ingrid, no bite behind it.   
Before Ingrid can even attempt to explain, a familiar voice greets the group.  
"Good morning everyone, how has your weekend been? I heard we got a new student as well!" Dimitri says, friendly and soft as ever.  
Felicia slams her hands onto the desks and shoots out of her seat. The air suddenly tensed up tenfold around her, everyone close by staring shocked at her. She doesn't look up. Dimitri opens his mouth, only to be shut down by Felicia, who is now seething with rage. "Shut your trap." she snaps at him "I don't want to hear *anything* from *you*."   
You could hear a pen drop right now if you let it happen. Everyone was quiet. Staring at Felicia. Staring at Dimitri. Just this instance made clear: Not only did Felicia know Ingrid and Dimitri, but she also didn't have the kindest backstory with them, especially Dimitri.   
Sylvain doesn't want to ask. Felicia excuses herself and leaves the room, but returns just before class starts.  
She was briefly introduced and sat down back into her seat. The only seat. Left to Sylvain, right to Ashe, behind Dimitri.  
The whole day, Felicia stays quiet, tapping her foot annoyed and waiting. 


	3. Chapter 3

Today isn't her best day. First, she wakes up from some nightmare she can barely recall by now. Then she had to greet her father a good morning. He usually doesn't wake up this early and she really hates him, so she went to school early, where she is being flirted with by a giant douchebag. And then Dimitri is in her class, sitting in front of her, so she has to stare at the back of his head the whole day. For probably the next three years. Isn't that great? The reason your brother died such a "Heroic Death", as her stupid father looooves to call it, right in front of her, the whole day, being as pissy nice as he always is. She should have known the moment she saw Ingrid. Back then, they where close friends and Ingrid had the BIGGEST crush on Glenn. Before that happened, Felicia WAS friends with Dimitri, but she couldn't forgive him, if he had just looked left and right ONCE before crossing the street, her brother wouldn't have been splattered all over it.   
She knows Dimitri was just a kid back then. They all were. But it's still a grudge she will hold for at least the next 3 decades. Minimum.

At lunch break, what's-his-face was outside the classroom, flirting with some random girls, while Ingrid was annoying him about it and Dimitri just left, THANK SOTHIS he left.   
"Hey, are you okay?" Ashe flung themselves into Dimitris chair, giving her a worried look.  
Felicia takes a moment. Looks up and down at Ashe again, a bit puzzled. Short hair, cute freckles, big, green eyes. A blue hoodie and pants. "Before we start any smalltalk Ashe.." she points at Ashes outfit, and they shift in the chair, feeling obviously uncomfortable at the fear of what might be said now. Felicia sighs. "Chill." she reassures them coldly "What do you prefer?" "I'm-- Huh? Uh, Boy." Ashe looks a bit confused and seats himself up again. "And to your question: Worst day I had in a long time." -- "You didn't exactly sound thrilled when you saw Dimitri." -- "Do I have to tell you?" she rolls her eyes. "No! No. I don't wanna know, if you don't want to tell!"   
"Maybe we should just get you away from any bad thoughts!" Annette flung herself into Ashes seat. "How about we do something after school?? To cheer you up! And so we can get to know each other." Felicia growls at the idea. She'd rather train. But Ashe and Annette look at her with these big puppy eyes. Fuck, they need to be protected.

Over the course of the day, they discussed what they would do, Felicia being slightly left out, but being 'new in town' kinda brings that with it anyway. Annette suggested they take a look around the school, starting with the magic arts club. Ashe wanted to show off the Archery club he's so proud off.   
At the end of the day, it became a big tour. Mercedes also tagged along making some smalltalk and being the sheep she seems to be. In a positive way that is.   
The tour ended in the Weapon Arts club, which was specifically for sword and lance training, but didn't deny the possibility of axes too.   
Felicia didn't have shoes yet. She just went in on socks like she did in the morning, turning on her toes the moment she spotted Ingrid, flooring a helpless student.   
End of tour. She said her farewells and left, any even slight enthusiasm taken from her withing seconds.  
She went back home.  
Back to school.  
Mainly just concentrated on studying. Some smalltalk with Ashe, Annette and Mercedes in-between. Getting hit on by what's-his-face?. (She never bothered to look at him too closely tbh)  
The bus she takes to school is always pretty empty. More likely due to it being so god damn early when she gets on. She hates that a bike ride would be more trouble that worth. She hates going by bus. Tons of cold steel that isn't bothered by small hitches in the ground and/or bodies.

  
It has been 3 months since she moved back to Fodlan yet again. She has been getting good at avoiding the boar outside of class. She joined the weapon arts club, but only really goes there in the morning, tuesday and wednesday afternoon. Ingrid was so kind to tell her that the other days, Dimitri would be there in the afternoon. She kind of appreciated that.  
The bus is empty as usual and she's sick upon entering, as usual. Felicia takes the usual seat in the far right corner and slumps herself at the window, propping a leg onto the little glass in front of her, that separates the last row seats from the ones in front of her, that makes people face each other. Gross, but good if you're going to ride this thing with friends, is her best bet at least.   
No 2 stations later, someone else enters the ride. At this hour? Nobody usually does? Who the fuck? And they have the audacity to just slump into the seats beside her, other corner of the bus respectively. Noone else gets on this ride at this hour, at least not at that station.   
She glares over, not looking up at them. Judging them from toes to head. Solid black nikes, combined with some ugly black harem pants that are supposed to look cool with all those zippers, while wearing an fucking ugly vintage leather jacked adorned with red stitches -- Oh no. It's the manwhore. It doesn't seem he has noticed her yet. Yuck, close your legs bro, is what she thinks right now, before she hears him letting out a tired groan.  
His head is leaned against the back of the bus, running his hands through his uncombed, flame orange hair, which looks, oddly fluffy? Must be freshly washed, at least it smells like shampoo and cologne in the back of the bus now. Nothing that's really smelling bad though. He looks wasted. Did he party the day before? No, no traces of alcoholic-stink in the air.  
"Wow, don't you look like a fucking mess." She snarls ar him, causing his head to snap from the back of the bus, looking at her, his hands still in his hair, his eyes blinking at her. "Oh." -- "Do I have to take another ride now or are you just up early?" Felicia cringes at him. "I--uh--" his words stumble a bit "I just woke up early."   
He still has to get a hold of himself it seems. Normally, he would have already tried to make a move by now? Please, don't summon this now that she though of it.  
"Do... do you usually take the bus THIS early?" what's-his-name asked, still tired, but also a bit surprised. She answers with a nod. "I'm just trying to avoid my old man so my morning isn't completely ruined." she huffs "Well, that didn't work noe that you're here." -- "Yikes, sorry that I can't sleep well?" -- "More like you just didn't." Felicia points out his slight eyebags. You could usually oversee them on his olive skin, but Felicia happened to notice anyway. She's more attentive than she wants to be sometimes, if she is being honest with herself.  
"No, just bad." he snarls at her "I'm not going on parties mid week, I'm not that much of an idiot." -- "So you're saying, you're not an idiot." Not a question. A statement. "Sure do...." he let's out a heavy sigh. "Are you going to train today again? Like you did back then?" -- "I suppose." Felicia leans her head against the window, stopping to look at what's-his-face. "May I join you? I think I need some exercise." -- "Suit yourself."  
He pops in his headphones and fumbles with his mobile for a moment, before going still as well.

They train in the dim hall, Felicia got herself a pair of change shoes for the hall by now, so she isn't going to slide away like last time.  
She wins, school starts.  
Next day, he's there again. They train again. He wins. Next day, she wins. He wins. She wins. It's frustrating and annoying, but it's a better challenge than Ingrid is, although that just might be because he has more muscles than her.   
This goes on for a month. "Why are you stalking me in the mornings?" -- "I'm not? Besides, training with you is kinda fun." he gives her a goofy grin. He got used to being awake this early. He still flirts the day away with every girl he comes across, being all flashy and charmant to them just to wrap them around his little finger. But that smile seemed more genuine that the fake ones he flashes at his fanclub or whatever these girls are to him.

"It's ... fun?" --- "Yeah, I usually skip to flirt with girls, whenever I DO train, they're always there and keep me from it." Felicia raises an eyebrow at him. "I never see you in the training hall though." -- "I'm usually only going on mondays when I feel like it." -- "I see."  
That's explains it. Monday is a no-no day. Alright.

They train again; he really IS smart. He won, by throwing his lance into the air while she pinned him down, but gravity did it's thing perfectly and now her back hurts from being hit in the back by a perfectly rotated lance. Douchebag even brags about it the whole day whenever they DO talk, if only rarely.

______________________

>>>Dark clouds fill the air, it's going to rain. Hopefully, this battle ends soon and they can finally capture Enbarr. This war has been going on for too long, too many lives lost. Mostly, nameless soilders, luckily, until now, none of his friends. The closest person loosing his life in the war being his father. No time to think about that now. He choose to fight in this war, so if he bites the dust now, it's just another Fraldarius dying for the boar prince turned king. He wont though.  
Felix just finished slashing up two enemies, before he recognises two screams behind him, one from an enemy, another from an ally. No. No no no no no. He turns around, field clear of enemies, seeing his best friend, lying on the floor, having fallen from his horse when he was hit with an axe to the side. No. This isn't happening right now. No! Felix shouts his friends name and runs over to him, calling out for the nearest healer, none to hear him. He begs his friend, who starts to cough up his own blood, to stay with him, saying his name over and over again. Over and over and over...<<<<

Felicia hits the floor of her bedroom hard as she rolls out of bed, waking up from one of her worst nightmares yet. Never were they clearer than today. She tries to grasp the name she was shouting in her dreams, only for it to have slipped away from her already. Again. How the dream friend looked? That also slipped the moment she woke up. It'll happen again. Somehow. Someday. That, what she dreamt of just now. Maybe not in a war, but it will happen. Losing more than one loved one. Glenn was just the beginning. She knows that.   
Felicia get's herself ready, showering her worries away. 4 AM. Still early. She doesn't feel like putting in any effort today, even leaving her hair ironer off. She let's it (her hair) dry while getting ready. Her father still asleep, thank fucking goddess. A morning in peace and quiet and the lingering feeling of death in the air that followed her from her dreams. Great! (not really)  
Felicia takes her bag and heads to the busstop, putting her hair into a messy half bun on the way. At least she doesn't feel sick anymore when stepping inside the damn thing. Maybe that's due to what's his face keeping her wound up in conversation every morning, even if it's just banter from his lady-hunting, which really fucking annoys her.  
Maybe she should try to learn his name. She never bothered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain is being a good friend amd helps Fe out when the latter locks herself out mid winter. In Faerghus.

A whisp of fresh cool air hits his face when he leaves home. Sylvain swoops his new headphones over his ears, blasting some music while he goes ans waits for the bus.   
He takes it of his head and turns the music down almost immediately when he enters the long bus, empty, except one seat, in the back left corner, where it is always filled with the same person.  
He kind of got around to enjoying the mornings he trains with Felicia, bragging about the girls he got to bed the previous day, not yesterday though. It annoys her, but she listens anyway, maybe. Sometimes they just talk about random shit though.   
He let's himself plop into the seat in front of her. Her eyes are closed, and no matter how much make up you she might have used, she looks completely done. Not that she's using much make up anyway. Her bun is even messier than usual, her front hair naturally curling. It didn't look styled; is she using an iron the other days? Sylvain couldn't help but play with one lock, which woke her up, bummer. Felicia gives him a tired look. "That the fuck do you think you're doing?" Sylvain pulls his hand away instantly. "Ah, sorry, couldn't stop myself." He took another look at Felicias face "Didn't you sleep well, you look uhh...kind of tired." -- "I was woken up by a nasty nightmare, thank you for asking." Sylvain wasn't sure if she meant it or if she was sarcastic. Probably the latter. "Should I let you sleep a bit more? Sorry." Felicia held her hand in front of her mouth and yawned a long yawn. "Nevermind, I would have woken up anyway in a few stations because the people can get pretty loud."   
Sylvain takes his headphones from around his neck and holds them to her. "Here, maybe that'll drown out the noise a bit." She took them, looked a moment at them and then looked at Sylvain. "A nice gesture, considering I don't have any music on my phone." it's almost like a death glare. Sylvain swings around to sit beside her, plugs the headphones into his phone and puts them onto Felicias ears. "Then you have to listen to mine."   
Felicia doesn't fight back and just shrugs, like she knows he'll insist on it anyway, which he would probably do if she said no. Sylvain selects a song he thinks Felicia would like, while she props her against her arm again.   
"You have a terrible taste." she humms, before diving back to sleep.  
Sylvain gives her a light poke in the cheeks to wake her up, only two stations before their stop. Didn't work, he tried harder to wake her up. Nope, nothing. She's out.   
Sylvain had two things he could do now:  
A. let her sleep, stay with her, miss their stop and making a full round around the city, which is pretty big so they would both run late  
or  
B. Pick her up, maybe risking a few whacks in the head, and carry her to school.

As much as Sylvain liked the first idea, she's be super mad at him and probably complain why he didn't do B. So he does B.  
The redhead slings both of their backpacks over his right shoulder and carefully removes Felicia from her seat in the bus. She is even lighter than she looks, despite being well trained. He wonders if she has abbs or no. Does she eat properly?  
It didn't take her long to grab subconsciously onto him like he was a bedsheet. Sylvain can't help but look down into her face from time to time, while he's carrying her princess style, her face at peace, though she frowns from time to time.   
Felicia wakes up, just in front of the school. Sylvain doesn't notice it at first until he can hear the music from his headphones getting louder. She took them off. As he looks down, Felicia is staring angry holes into him. "Ah! You're up!" -- "Let me down." she replies coldly, a hint of anger in her voice, while putting the headphones back around his neck. Sylvain does as he's told and puts her onto the ground, softly. The moment she's standing on firm ground again, Sylvain get's a good jab into the side. He let's out a pained yelp. "Ouch okay okay sorry! I just wasn't able to wake you up so I just--" his hasty apology, he's not really meaning because he's not sorry, was interrupted by a loud sigh. Felicias arms are crossed, as she looks up to him "It's fine." She just mumbles, barely to understand, not looking at Sylvain. "I needed the sleep and you where hopefully not doing anything weird." she glances at him, signalizing if he did something, he's be dead where he stand. Sylvain get's his hands up in defense. "I was only carrying you! Don't worry. I'm not interested in dying yet so spare me." he started to joke. It eased up the tension a bit, the messy girl grabs for her bag. "You still have a shitty taste in music." -- "At least I have music on my phone." -- "Shitty music."

"You don't wanna train today?" Sylvain points into the direction of the training hall, while Felicia is walking into the direction of the classroom. "I'm not feeling like it."   
Woa. What? "That must have been a draining dream, if YOU'RE not up for training!" he blurts out in surprise. "Shut up you moron." Felicia snaps back.  
They spend the morning learning for the first class they have today.  
"Hey, do you know what this means?" Felicia leans over to Sylvain, as she doesn't understand the mathematics of the problem. "You ask ME that? I'm dumb." -- "Nice try, I got a glance at your grades a few weeks ago. You're the smartest motherfucker in the whole class."  
She got him. He only plays dumb. Dumb boys get dumb girls after all.  
He can toy with dumb girls all he likes. All they're after are his looks at best, his money at worst.

"You got me, can't hide that from you, huh?" Sylvain mocks and goes into the explanation. It was a simple problem, really, but he understood where Felicia, who seems pretty sharp herself, got hung up.  
Students started to join the classroom after a while, the room was finally lit enough by the daylight to turn the lights off, everything starts to get livelier by the minute.   
Felicia gets caught up in conversation with Ashe, as every morning, Annette joining eventually as she arrives.   
"No, I don't have enough money for the month for buying flashy clothes not that I'd want any." Felicia replied to Annette.  
"Awee, come on, you can still tag along! The mall has other shops too! Maybe you can find something there!" Annette encourages.  
"There is a weapon/weaponcollector-shop! I buy my Bows there."  
"A weapon store huh? How about swords?"   
"Plenty as I've seen so far!"

Swords? Well, Felicia certainly seems like the kind of person to be interested in that. Sylvain makes sure he's remembering it and goes back into listening to Ingrids scolding.   
"I didn't even do that yesterday, 'Grid." - "Oh sure you didn't!" she replies sarcastically "As if I'd believe that!"

The morning continues as always, but sylvain happens to find a hastily written number on one of his unused papers. Who's that from. He has to check next break, the new student teacher is already here.

The number, that was written on the paper, was written with the ugliest handwriting he's ever seen. Whoever's wanna become a doctor here, that's the handwriting they'd need. He types the number into his phone and sends a text via messenger, meanwhile, girls swarm him like always, but he's staying in his seat to see who of those girls might be the culprit. Alot of them seem to check their phones, but none from his text, so he goes back to flirting.

He never got a reply from that number that day. Was this a joke? Or did he type it wrong.  
He's getting himself dressed in the evening, planning to go out, as suddenly, his phone got a message.   
"Who is this, that Tiffany girl from last time?" he mumbles to himself, his screen shows the mystery number.

[Insert NR. here]  
I don't have wifi at school you idiot.  
[Sylvain]  
Who's this????  
[Nr.]  
Felicia, you fucking moron.

"Oh." he saves her number in an instant. Her profile picture shows, it's a black kitten. Maybe hers?

[Sylvain]  
What gives me the honor of receiving your number?  
Your handwriting is terrible btw xD

[Feli] (<<< How Sylvain saved her nr.)  
As terrible as your taste in music.  
Don't try sending voice mails i'm not listening to those

[Sylvain]  
Kk

[Feli]  
Just in case one of us isn't feeling good.  
Like me today.  
I just went to school because I know you're only getting up for training you horny dick

[Sylvain]  
Charmant as ever

[Feli]  
thx.

[Sylvain]  
Sooo, wyd rn?

The two of them somehow ended up chatting for hours. Felicia turns out to be way more "talkative" on her phone. And she swears more.

The clock already hit 12 AM when Felicia decided to sleep. Or so Sylvain thinks, she didn't answer after that.

Sometimes Felicia answered his texts after school, sometimes she didn't.

Over the months, Sylvain and her would build up a solid friendship, at least from his point of view. What she though of the whole thing, he had no idea. He found it kind of nice to talk to a girl that didn't want into his pants (in this case, not at all) for his looks or money. Well, and a girl that wasn't Ingrid. There are some more exceptions, but he doesn't talk alot to them. 

Just fitting for the first day of winter break, snow started to fall and the kids in the neighbourhood have already started to build snowmen in front of their houses, even though there isn't much snow to build with yet.  
It kinds of reminds him of his childhood. What kid in Fearghus DIDN'T build a snowman at least once in their life?   
But at that time of the year, the female population is less club-active. Bummer, no fun for Sylvain until at least february, when the girls go wild because of valentines day.   
But besides that, he wasn't as clubactive in the last few weeks anyway. It kind of got boring. Or maybe hes sick. Yeah, probably that, he hasn't been running around in the most cold resistant clothing lately anyway.  
Should he go out and do something today? Maybe in the evening, getting rest before going to party sounds like a good idea. It's saturday and most clubs throw a big party before they close until usually mid january.   
Sylvain drinks some tea and goes back to bed, setting his alarm for 6PM. It's 9 AM.

It isn't until 2 PM that he wakes up himself. One look at his phone and his messenger shows him a fuckload of messages. So many desperate ladies at this time of the year? What a lucky day!  
11 chats open.  
Tiffany. 1 text  
Brittany. 2 texts  
Larah. 1 text  
and a few more.  
He expected more. He archives most of them, until he sees who just wrote him a bunch of fucking messages!  
His eyes widen at the name. Was Felicia bored today?! Sylvain begrudgingly and tired opens the chat, hoping it was just jumble her cat did. It wasn't.

[Feli]  
-Hey can you give me a rundown on what the homework was again?  
-Are you still asleep it's 9:30 AM.  
-Hey.  
-Answer?  
-I think I just locked myself out of the house.  
-Good thing I had nothing on in the house.  
-Ugh, Howl is scratching at the window  
[A photo of a kitten at a window. It's cute, black with white front paws and a blonde, heart shaped spot on it's forehead]  
-My stupid father doesn't pick up  
-neither did you!  
-I just called the locksmith  
-they said he needed credit information before he comes over.  
-This is stupid, like i remember random numbers on a card  
-I don't have, by the way.  
-It's 11 AM and you're still asleep  
-you're impossible.  
-I know you got my messages.  
-you're like literally my only other contact beside my father and my brother.  
-who won't pick up when i call him  
-ever.  
-...  
-I'm like, really cold.  
-Can I come over to your place?  
-I don't know where exactly that is though.  
-I know where your busstop is though.   
-I could walk there.  
-In my pyjamas.  
-ugh.  
-could you come as soon as you read that bunch of messages, you know I don't have any mobile data  
-please come fast, by the way, my weather app warned for heavy snow just now.

The messages stopped after this one. Sylvain rolls out of his bed as fast as sonic and opened his curtains, only to see the snow falling heavily to the earth now. The snowflakes are gigantic.  
The redhead rushed down the stairs and grabs his jacket and puts it on, as well as a second, even thicker one for Felicia and his house keys. He slips into his shoes without a second thought and leaps out of the house, letting the door behind him closing shut from the force the pulled it after him.  
The busstation isn't far, and it's also got a little house to sit in. His lungs burn from the combination of running and cold air, but he reaches the station withing less than 5 minutes. He looks inside the bus-station-house, just to see someone in a tanktop and kitty-PJ-pants, no shoes, every inch of skin exposed red from the cold. Curled up into a little ball with heavy breathing, Felicias trouseled hair lies wet, half frozen over her shoulders.  
Sylvain throws the thick winter jacket over her and grabs the sides of her arms. "Felicia, hey, are you awake? Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't read the messages earlier. Oh my goddess please be awake.."  
She lifts her head slowly, looking at sylvain with tired eyes and blue lips, face all red. "I'm ... cold." -- "And an idiot why didn't you ask your neighbours for shelter?!" Sylvain scolds, expression still soft and worried, as he helps Felicia stand, which proves difficult, as she is stiff from the cold. He manages to put the winter jacket properly onto Felicia before he lifts her from the ground, princess style.  
"I don't trust them." -- "THAT'S your reason to nearly freeze to death?" Sylvain starts walking back in a quickened pace, as fast as he an, without tripping from the frozen street. "Also, noone opened their doors." she mumbles, Sylvain was already at the front porch of his house, trying to fumble for his keys in his own jacket, without dropping Felicia. It took a moment, but he managed to get inside without letting Felicia drop to the floor.   
He let's the frozen girl down into his living room and activates the fireplace, guiding her in front of it to warm up. It's an artificial one, so it isn't TOO hot.  
"I'll get you something to change into, wait here a sec." She just noods with closed eyes.  
Sylvain rushes into the kitchen, activates the kettle, which is usually super slow, and speeds up into his room, getting one of his hoodies and pj-pants, together with some blankets from his drawer. And 2 towels for Felicia also.  
He throws the stuff onto the couch behind Felicia and get's her some random ass tea he had at hand.  
She doesn't complain and thanks him instead. She thanks HIM, the asshole who just let her almost freeze to death because he was asleep. He'll never be able to let himself live this down.

After this whole mess, Sylvain looked at the clock next at 5 PM. Felicia changed into the oversized hoodie and pj pants he gave her, her hair slowly drying into curls. She's drinking her 3rd-ish cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. Sylvain had to change clothes himself, as they where also wet from the snow. Both their clothes are drying over the next heater.  
"Again I'm sorry." it's the 20th time he apologized for that whole mess, she tells him everytime that it's okay. "Hey, I'm warmed up now, so everythings alright." her voice is softer than usual, probably because she's tried. Her face suggests as much. "Ugh" she takes a lock of hair into her hand. "You don't happen to have a hair iron, do you?" -- "Sorry, don't." she frowns, letting the lock fall back into her face again. "Personally, I think it suits you." Sylvain tried to compliment. Not that it's a lie. She should wear it more often in his opinion. "I wish I had the straight hair of my mother and not the curls of my father... I hate this." --- "You're overreacting." -- "I know. I'm envious that Glenn got to have straight hair." -- "Glenn?" she suddenly looks at him, startled "Ah, nevermind that..." --- "Your brother?"   
Felicia sights, and noods. Something feels off about this, so he let's that line of conversation fall flat again.  
"You can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll sleep on the couch." Sylvain suggests, getting a suspicious look from Felicia. She squints her eyes at him. "This is your house, I should be the one sleeping on tbe couch if I have to stay here the night." Sylvain shakes his head on that. "Please, it's the least I can do. I couldn't let you sleep on the couch. You need a good rest after today." -- "No, I'm taking the fucking couch." -- "But--" Felicia shushes him and takes her phone. Apparently she heard her ringtone before Sylvain did and picks up. Sylvain only hears her replies.

"Yes?"  
(Felicia, did you call me?)  
"Yeah, I did."  
(You know I have a business meeting and to not do that?)  
"I know,but maybe you wanted to know that your daughter was freezing to death."  
(Freezing to death?)  
"Yeah, I locked myself out. The locksmiths are being stupid."  
(Are you still outside?)  
"No, I'm at" she quickly glances over to Sylvain "a friends place."  
(Oh, you made a friend? Why didn't you tell me?)  
"Because it's none of your fucking business." she snaps "When do you get back?"  
(The whole shinnanigans here will take up to a week before I can get back)  
"A week?! Can you call the locksmiths then?"  
(Even if, I have to be there myself when they arrive, which you know is impossible)  
"Like, literally, fuck you, you're no help."  
(Wait, did you leave the cat inside?)  
"I'm not worried about the damn cat, Howl knows how to get food if he needs it."  
(Why don't you ask your friend if you could stay over?)  
"You're just taking your best bet right now, are you?"  
She looks over to Sylvain, while talking.  
(--silence--)  
"What do you do if not?"  
She looks at the phone again, frowning.  
"I told you, I don't know if I can stay over for that week, I literally have like, no clothes besides the ones I I had on while almost freezing to death."  
(Felicia, I'm not--)  
"I know you're not, but I also know you don't care enough anyway."

She disconnects the call angrily and throws the phone into the corner of the couch.  
"You can stay here over the week if you need to, though I'm sure you'd be more comfortable staying with one of your girl-ish friends."  
"In case you forgot: You're the only one I have the number of."  
"Oh. Right."  
"Besides I'm not that close to either Mercedes or Annette, and Ashe would just feel uncomfortable."  
Sylvain's surprised. "And *I'm* close enough?" -- "Closer than the other 3. Even though you're the biggest fucking moron I know" her answer came as dry and honest as usual, Sylvain's used to that. The ginger grinns and bows like an old gentlemen "I'm honored, milady, you considering me close is a great honor!"  
Felicia huffs and let's her shoulders drop. She's at ease again and that's good.  
"But if you're staying here, you have to take my bed for the night. I'll sleep on the couch. Deal?"  
"Ugh, fine. I'm sleeping in the bed." she takes a look around. "But will your parents be okay with that?"  
"They're out on vacation for the next two weeks. Not that I would care" Sylvain crosses his arms behind his head "I'd let you sleep here anyway. It's not like you---" he cuts himself off, she doesn't need to know that he takes his ladies here. "Like I'm what?" -- "It's not like you're a stranger, we're friends, right?"  
He get's a short, odd stare from his friend, before she replies. "Right. Friends." she sounded like she had to remind herself of that fact. "You just said it yourself, didn't you?" -- "Yes, but it's been ages since I had someone who I can mutually call a friend."  
"That makes two then."  
"I thought you had a great social life?"  
"No, I have a great talent for talking girls into-- you know."  
"Sadly, I know." she sighs.

The evening ended in silence, not much to talk about, the heavy snowflakes having developed into a snowstorm.  
All of the next day, noone was outside.  
Monday the same. Felicia mostly stayed in the same space on the couch. She doesn"t eat much. Either because she really doesn't or she just feels uncomfortable to be given food for free in someones others house. She leaves Sylvains room almost always as early as she wakes up. Is it that uncomfortable to stay there.  
Tuesday, the storm started to calm over the night, streets full with snow, a delight for the kids all over.  
"What do you wanna eat for lunch?" Sylvain shouts from out of the kitchen, staring into the almost empty Fridge.  
"Bread?"  
"Again?!" he shuts the door angrily and storms over to Felicias space on the couch. "Besides the fact that I need to buy something first, you can't just eat bread all day!" She doesn't look up from whatever she's typing on her phone. "Can and do." --- "No you don't. Let's shop for food and you tell me what you REALLY want to eat." --- "And what do you suppose I should wear you idiot? My tanktop and pj-pants?" she snarls "Besides, I don't have any shoes."  
"Wait here a sec." He goes onto the hallway and opens the closet, filled with old shoes. Gee, this needs to be sorted out. "What size are you shoes?" -- "I don't--" -- "What size?" -- "Ugh, fine. 36." that's tiny! But there should be an old pair of his moms wintershoes around this thing.  
Felicia ended up wearing one of Sylvains older jackets and pants, as well as the old shoes of his mom. They're not grabbled or anything, but it feels alien to her anyway.

After The redhead forced the indigo-haired girl outside, they stomped their way to the next supermarket. Whenever Sylvain asked, if she wanted something, but she said no, sooo many times.  
"I told you I'm fine with bread. I never ate much since years anyway." --- "Are you full that easily?" --- "No, but I couldn't bother learning how to cook and I got tired of eating from take out every day, my old man can't cook either." -- "Listen, I said I'm making food. But it's almost unhealthy how less you seem weigh." -- "Ugh, I'm telling you it's fine you moron."   
Sylvain let's out a sigh and goes ahead with the shopping. "If you want anything in particular, let me know." --"Whatever."  
She asked for nothing. They're almost through and she asked for nothing but bread and something to eat it along to. All the women he knows usually like to eat salads around him, but he knows they're secretly super into fast food or that stuff.   
Sylvain unpacks what he bought and notices tiny joghurts along the line. They where from a popular anime-movie that came out ages ago but is still ringing in the sales they need. The movies ARE super good. The joghurts feature cute cats. He looks over to Felicia. She looks away. When did she put that into the basket? Sylvain never noticed. A few other items came up as well, he didn't say anything and was just relieved she put something in.  
They start to stomp back through the snow.   
"I'm glad you picked something." --- "I have no fucking idea, what you mean." Sylvain just laughs at that response.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the drunken shenanigans tag comes to play

The rest of the week went over fast, Felicia was picked up by a big black car shortly after lunch.   
"I'll wash these and return them to you in school, if that's okay?" Felicia said, her hand on the handle, pointing at the clothes she borrowed from Sylvain, and is still wearing. "You can keep 'em." --- "I'm going to--" he interrupts her again. "I'm not wearing them anyways. you can keep the shoes as well, my mom planned to throw a whole bunch away, she won't miss them. "I can't--" -- "You can. Now go. See you at school."   
Felicia opens the door and runs to the car. She refused to take a jacket, as it was like 3 steps away from the door and she already borrowed so much. Sylvain didn't go outside, her dad would probably kill them both if he knew her friend was a guy.

\-----

Felicia hurried herself into the car, throwing the door shut behind her. "Hey, watch it, the car is--" -- "New. I don't give a flying fuck, father."   
She didn't look at him. She can't see him in the eyes, ever since the things he said about Glenns death. She'll never let him live those down. He drove off.  
"It was lucky a friend of yours lives near by." her father tries to raise the mood. "How was your week."  
"Okay."  
"Did you have fun?"  
"Of course I had fun, taking shelter at a friends place, borrowing stuff from them and eating their food." she spits out sarcastically.   
"Felicia, you know I wasn't in the country. I'm sorry."  
"Save your breath. I don't need your sorry excuses." she stares down at the redheads hoodie. It was comfortable and warm, a bit oversized, in blue.   
"It was nice of your friend to lend you clothes. I never see you in oversized hoodies. Only turtlenecks."  
"Oh shut up, It was an old hoodie from--" she bit her tongue, as it dawned on her. If her dad knows, she was with a boy the whole time, he would either be very angry and kill them both or never stop asking about him and if he's her boyfriend. Fuck no. Never. Never ever will she let that happen. "--her older brother. He said I could keep it."  
"Isn't that nice of them?"  
"It is. Shut up."

They where already at home. Apparently, her father checked up on the cat first, the bowl was full and Howl was eating. Great, she is worth less than her cat. She slips out of the overpriced, old shoes and hurries upstairs to get away from the nightmare she calls her father.  
She throws herself onto her bed, which was still messy from a week before. She didn't care. She pulled the blanked over her and closed her eyes. Her own bed, finally she's back. Finally she can train again tomorrow.   
What's-his--- ugh, what was his name again? He probably would have stared at her like an idiot, if she told him she also trains at home. He also would be hurt if she told him she didn't know his name, or more like didn't bother to remember it. She has to find out soon. This wasn't going to be a secret for very long.  
The pullover smells like cedar. It's calming. She dozes off.  
\---  
Christmas was a nightmare, like every year. And like every year, her father tried to buy her affection with some expensive collector sword. She was happy she got it. She hated it her old man got it for her. She wanted to throw all the swords she got from her father away, but what did the blades ever do to her?  
She sended a "Merry christmas" to Glenn's old number. Like every year. Never a reply to come. It was a stupid thing she couldn't stop doing. She also sended a text to the only other number besides her "family".   
He replied with a stupid christmas video. It was one of those autotune cats.  
"Merry Christmas Feli~cia." it said. God that's stupid.  
It's nice. She barely noticed the smile on her face.  
Did she really want to spend new years eve with a sorry excuse for a father again? She could ask the idiot.

[Felicia]  
-Hey, do you have something planned on new years?  
[Idiot]  
-Just the usual.   
-Going to a club  
[Felicia]  
-ofc u do.  
[Idiot]  
-Wanna join?

  
Felicia's eyes widened. 

  
[Felicia]  
-Do I look like someone who drinks?  
[Idiot]  
-no.  
-but a few others of the class will be there  
-maybe you could make a few more friends then little ol' me  
[Felicia]  
-...  
-When and where?

The redhead shoots her the address and meetup-time. 9PM at his place. Right. He would know how to get there. It's already 7PM.  
Does she even have something to dress for that kind of thing?  
Felicia rolls out of her bed, hair a bit in her face, and walks over to the closet. A turtleneck should do. It'll be cold and she usually forgets to wear a scarf. Maybe a jeans? A turquoise jeans.   
She get's herself ready and thinks way to hard about what to wear. Her up in a bun or down? Maybe a ponytail.  
Way too much thinking.  
She packs the borrowed shoes into a bag. She's going to return them. He can argue all he wants.  
She puts on her blue high-thighed winterboots and her turquoise wither jacket. She goes out. It's could. She goes back in, puts on the next best pullover, than goes out again.

There weren't any cars parked in front of the house, are his parents out again? She rings the bell and not short after, the door is opened. Not by the idiot, but Annette!  
"Oh Felicia! You really came! Come in!" the smaller girl hugged enthusiastically as a greeting. Her hair was down and she wore a cute black dress with orange accents. "I'd do anything to bypass spending new years eve with my old man." Felicia said and entered, slipping out of her boots inside, hanging her jacket and hoodie, she now notices, over a white coat with orange accents. "We're all in the kitchen drinking some cocktails." she hummed and lead to the kitchen. Felicia followed. Entering the kitchen, she was greeted with familiar faces. Besides Annette, they where Ashe, Ingrid and even Mercedes.   
She was greeted collectively and handed a drink. "I don't really--" she tried to decline. "Don't worry they're not strong." Ashe said, toasting with Felicia on the go. His hair was slick back on one side. It suited him.  
"However, I'm surprised to find you here." Felicia turns to Ingrid. "I'm the "designated driver", if you want to call it that." -- "You can't drive." -- "But I'm the only one who can call for a taxi, if they're really going to drink as much as they're planning to."   
Felicia looks at Mercedes. "You?" she said, like she couldn't believe it. Mercedes was a literal angel how would she-- "It's nice to test out your limits sometimes." mercedes smiled back at her. Her outfit was a bit more classy and with less pepp than Annette's, but they seemed to match. Ingrid just wore a green pullover and jeans. And here Felicia though SHE would be underdressed. And she probably is. Felicia glanced at Ingrid. "Is Dimitri coming too?" she squints. Ingrid shakes her head. "Sylvain never asked him. Figuring he asked YOU, that's pretty considerate of him."  
"That I am." a confident voice said, letting an arm slip around Felicia's shoulders. She shrugs it off, no questions asked. "Don't do that." -- "Alright." he says, not surprised by Felicia's reaction. His hair was the same red as always, as where his eyes. The idiot on the clock was wearing a black shirt with a black tie, and a red belt. She couldn't see more from that angle. It suited him.  
"Anyway, I'm glad you came, let's have some fun, shall we?"  
They went off half an hour later, Felicia drank like, one cocktail before they left. She's not going to drink much more. She never really went out to drink, she doesn't know how she'll handle it.   
It was loud at the club, and full, and Felicia was lucky someone she knew was there. On the way to the club, which was much more closer than she had anticipated, she managed to get Annette's number. And Ashes. Mercedes typed everyone's numbers in, as Felicia asked for hers first and the others where fine with it. How did she get that stuff into her head?  
When Felicia got it back and Mercedes smiled at her.   
Sylvain.His name was Sylvain.  
Apparently, Mercedes saw how she had saved his number, so she took the freedom to change it.   
Sylvain.That name rings a bell.

But she doesn't know from where.

Alot of people where dancing, always someone on the dancefloor. Felicia was more than often with One of her classm-- friends. Sylvain was off, flirting through the club, drinking like the world would end that night like everyone else.   
The cheering was big when the clock hit midnight. The music got worse. Everyone got more drunk. Besides that cocktail in Sylvains house and a cola-whiskey, Felicia only ever got some water, with a straw. She didn't like the taste of alcohol, and that cocktail was too sweet for her taste. Every cocktail is sweet, is what Ingrid told her.   
It was 3 AM when Ingrid took Ashe, Annette and Mercedes and they left with a Taxi. Felicia didn't want to spent money on overpriced driving, when she lived close enough.

When she got to the wardrobe, she was stopped by Sylvain. He leaned quickly against the wall of the small shelter. "You're already leavin'?" he asked. Felicia pinched her nose shut with her fingers. "You reek of that whiskey stuff." -- "Sorry. Drank some." -- "And yes, I'm leaving. It's late and the others left a few minutes ago." -- "Didn't went with 'em?" he lulled drunk. "No. I can walk. I didn't drink much and you know I live close by." -- "You can't walk alone at night!" --- "Can and will. Believe it or not, I can defend myself." -- "Feliiiiiii!" he murred.   
"Fine. Go walk over to the bar and get me a water." Felicia ordered. Sylvain, still trying to be suave around everything that has a pulse, even when drunk, walked over to the bar. He didn't walk straight. He almost ran into the wall. Sothis he's drunk. He came back. "Here miss grumpy cat." -- "Fuck you. Drink that water." -- "But I thought you wanted to drin et!"   
Felicia stared at him coldly and he begrudgingly took a sip. "What"s your wardrobe number?" -- "My..? Uhh..." he fumbled in his pockets and held the thing closer than needed to his face. He laughed like a small child. "69." Felicia took the chip out of his hands and put it onto the counter. "I'd like that one too."   
The wardrobe-personell got Sylvains stuff for her, she handed him his jacket and took the empty glass of water, putting on the closest table. "I dun wanna go though!" -- "I don't give a fuck." -- "I do!" -- "Stop being a child. You're drunk!" -- "I don't have someone to hook up with yet!" -- "I said I don't care." she thinks for a moment "Besides, didn't you say I shouldn't be walking outside alone at night? You come with me then."   
His eyes widen. "Oh! Okay then!" he smiled and put his jacket on. Somewhat. Enough to leave.   
It didn't take 3 steps at the fresh air for him to cling onto Felicia, as he tries to walk. "Fuck you, you're so under. Good thing *I* didn't drink more than 2 things that weren't water." -- "Sowwy." -- "Fuck you."  
She took his arm over her shoulder, grabbing it with one hand, while her hand was placed on his broad back. Even through the jacket, he was surprisingly muscular. Even through the reeking alcohol, he smelled like cedar.   
He kept apologizing about the whole situation. "I said it's fine, shut the fuck up and concentrate on walking." Felicia hissed at the man she was helping. What a fucking mess. His head fell onto her shoulder at some point. Fuck. He was still walking, but he was getting heavier by the minute. "Could you *please* try to stay awake you fucking moron?! You're heavy and I am NOT strong enough to lift your limb body!" she shouts at him, trying to keep him awake. "Hnnnh..." he murrs "cinnamon...hmm..." --"Hey!" Felicia shouts. At this rate, he's going to fall asleep on the hard, cold ground. "S y l v a i n!!!" she cries out angrily and pissed, as he almost drops, taking her down with him. He manages to catch himself in time. And her with him.   
His arm was around her waist, pulling her close to him from behind. Her back on his chest, his head in the crook of her neck. "What the fu--" -- "My name." he whispered quietly, only for her to hear. "What about your fucking name?! Sylvain I want to get *home*!"   
Felicia is done with her nerves, but Sylvain stays still. "you never said it before." he wraps the second arm around her waist.  
She bit her tounge before she could spit out that she didn't know until earlier that night.   
The cedar scent calmed her anger, oddly as it is. It reminds her of the christmas she didn't have for years. Or a fresh carved training sword.   
"Who cares? A name isn't that important, isn't it? Let's go, I want to get you home."  
"Can't walk."  
She just starts to walk and they're soon in the same walking position as before.   
She doesn't have the nerve to walk him all the way to his home. Her's will have to do. It's dark, her old man's sleeping. Good. She really doesn't want to explain this whole bullshit.   
She unlocks the door, almost limb Sylvain over her back, and opens the door quietly. Her jacket off, bis jacket off.   
"Shoes. I'm not your fucking nanny." she whispers harshly, while opening the zipper on her boots.   
Sylvain flies flat on his ass while trying to untie his boots. It makes quite the ruckus. Fuck. "I fucking hate you, you know that?!" still whispering, hoping that just now didn't wake her father. She took off his shoes and the big light turned on. Fuck. FUCK.   
"Care to explain?" her father stands on the other end off the stairs, glaring at both of them. Looking between her and Sylvain, who didn't notice much at that point.  
"Not really. He's staying here."  
"He isn't."  
"I don't care what you want."  
"You're not having a boy over. A drunk one at that."  
"Sorry to break it to you, but he's staying the night. He can't walk alone and honestly? The more it ticks you off, the better." Felicia snarls.  
Sylvains bright brown eyes just stare at her sheepishly, unfocused.  
Her father looks even more pissed now. Good. He knows he can't change this now.   
"Felicia Henrietta Fraldarius." he says sternly, and loud. "You will not talk down to me like that. I'm your father and as long as you're living under this roof you--"  
"No. Fuck off!" she hissed at her father, standing up. "Sylvain's my best friend. He let me stay at his place for a week, not asking for anything back. He s t a y s!"  
"This is nothing I'm--- wait you stayed at HIS place?!"  
"Oh my fucking--! Go to sleep again!"  
The argument that followed was not the prettiest out there. Alot of thing where said. Ugly things. Nasty things.   
They argued a while. Long enough for Sylvain to fall asleep. Long enough for the first rays of sun starting to rise again. Or maybe they just got home way to "early".   
Her father left for his room. She poked Sylvain awake enough so she could help him to her room.  
She surpressed the urge to cry.   
"Where did I go wrong with you?" was surprisingly his best quote yet. The disappointed look that accompanied the words let them hit even harder. He left after that. Felicia hated her father. But probably not enough not to care. 

She basically threw Sylvain onto her bed, and closed her rooms dark blue curtains shut. He didn't do much, besides making a few noises of discomfort. Felicia pulls the blanket over him. He seems to wear make up usually. Or at least something to cover the now unveiled freckles, since the make up rubbed off his face. They look good on him.  
She turned to leave, but she was grabbed by the wrist by big, warm hands. Not tightly, it didn't hurt, but the grip was strong enough to keep her in place. She turns around. Sylvain was rolled to the side, his hand gripping her wrist, his amber eyes tiredly looking at her. "What's wrong..?" he murred quietly. Felicia doesn't remember the last time someone asked her that. She only knows nobody asked her that question after her brothers death. Nobody cared enough. Nobody.  
But there he was, staring at her, a tired but worried expression in his face.  
Something inside her broke.  
She cried.

\---

Sylvain doesn't remember much. The last thing he remembers is flirting with some random girl. Badly. Somehow that night was a bad night.  
The next thing he remembers is being poked awake by Felicia, to get the fuck up, so she can put him in bed. Her voice was shaky. More shaky than she probably wanted to.  
He remembers being flung into her bed, how the room got darker.   
She pulls the blanked over him. Felicia is shaking. Bit she wants to leave. Out of reflex, he grabs her wrist and asks her what's wrong. Sylvain is tired, but he is more awake after a few seconds.  
Tears suddenly stared to stream down her face, she started sobbing. Sylvain props himself up to one arm and pulls her close. Sitting up, he huggs her. Felicia is shaking. He never thought he would see a girl like her cry.   
It wasn't the same kind of shaking from a few weeks before, when she almost froze to death.   
She clung onto him, like he was her last lifeline, crying and sobbing choking on her breath. Sylvain placed a hand at her head, pushing it a bit into his shoulder, stroking her hair. "Shhh" he coos into her ear "Everything will be alright."   
Words of comfort are the only thing he can offer right now, hoping they can calm the crying girl in his arms.  
"I'm here, okay?"   
Felicia always seemed so strong to him. She can swear like a sailor when in a really bad mood and is swift with the blade. Strong. Relentless. Stubborn.   
He didn't think there would be a day, where he could see that wall crumble to bits. But it did.   
The whole situation feels familiar. He doesn't know why. Comforting her. Like he did it a dozen times before. Holding her into his arms while she's crying ghibli tears into his shoulder.   
He shifts them both, somehow, he manages to lie down again, Felicia in his arms, still crying. He puts the blanket over both of them.   
Sylvain doesn't know how much time has passed, all he knows is he dozed off the moment he noticed that Felicia had calmed down....

>"Hey! Wake up! Please! Sylvain! Sylvain please! You can't die! You can't break that promise please! You're the only one--"<

Sylvain's eyes snapped open. A nightmare. A short one. He was in a semi dark room.  
Right, he was at Felicia's place. He only needs to look down and still can see her, sleeping, cuddled onto him.  
All he knows that she was crying and he comforted her. He didn't know what upset her that much. He was pretty out of it for most the time. Both of them where pretty much in their evening clothes, without the jackets. She was wearing the old hoodie he gave her. Huh.  
Sylvain didn't move, so he wouldn't wake Felicia, he's not a fucking dick. He took a look around the darkened room instead.  
First things first, the girl sure likes her swords. He could see a bunch of swords neatly hanging on the wall. All kinds of swords. Some looked really expensive. Looking a bit more right, he could spot some figurines is different sizes, from different shows. Some where cats and-- oh hey it's the main heroine from that show! Felicia's school bag also is from that show!  
A bit more right are a some DVD's and VHS', neatly placed into the shelf. All of them are from the same production studio.   
"What a nerd." he laughs quietly to himself. It's kind of cute. Not that he wasn't better. He just kept himself from actually buying those things. The only thing he has himself if a blue-ray collection of the same movies Felicia owns. But he kept those under his bed, only for him to know.  
"Sorry for having interests..." she murrs into his chest. "Oh! You're awake?" -- "No, I'm obviously sleeptalking." -- "Very funny." Sylvain shifted a bit, so he could look at Felicia, who was staring at him, a tired frown on her face.  
"I didn't mean that as insult." -- "Whatever."  
They where talking quietly. "Why did you cry?" Sylvain was curious. A moment of silence went trough the room.   
"Because you asked what was wrong? I dunno." Felicia answered, not sure if she should be angry or confused.  
"That's not a reason to cry! Or am I that much of a terrible person?" -- "No you're fucking not." she punched him in the chest. It didn't hurt there wasn't much force behind it. She sighs.   
"Maybe something inside of me broke at that moment? I mean noone ever asked me if something was wrong since before my brother died..."  
"Oh" OH.   
Felicia started to talk. How her brother died. What her father said about his death. If he's honest, Sylvain would feel the same, but what luck his brother was only kicked out, eh?  
Felicia told him how she moved around with her father after that.   
How she never made friends.  
How she started to train to compensate.   
How anime-stuff was the only thing that was always there.  
The movies she used to watch with her brother.  
How nobody cared.  
What happened last night with her father.  
It's alot to take in.  
"That's... alot." is all he could say to that. He didn't expect Felicia to just tell him.   
"Yes it is. You can go ahead and forget that, if you want." Felicia rolls out of his arms and leaves the bed. Back turned to him.  
"I don't want to."  
"Great whatev--" she turns around. "What?" her golden eyes stare at him, confused. Sylvain sits up, throws the blanket to the side of the bed and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. "You heard me. Why would I want to forget something you trusted me enough with to tell me?" Sylvain looks at her with concern. "I'm your best friend, aren't I?" he then grinns. Felicia puts her hands over her face, embarrassed. "Oh fuck you shut up!" she growls from behind her hands. Sylvain couldn't help but laugh.  
He holds out his pinky. "Here. I'll promise you to never let you down." -- "A pinky promise? What are you, five?" --"Four! C'mmon!" Felicia slings her pinky into his. "Fine. You promise me that. And I do so vice verca." -- "Sounds like a deal to me!" Sylvain humms.


	6. Chapter 6

The holidays where finally over. Everyone got back to school. All went beck to normal. Getting up early was a chore, after getting used to sleeping long again. But he had to.  
The time flew by and it was already February. Girls went WILD with talk of romance and the like. Ah yes, hunting season has begun again. Daily easy chat with the ladies, all of them adoring him. He wonders how much chocolate he will get again this year. He didn't even finish the stock from last year. That's just how popular he was.

\---

She sat in a small circle around Ashes table. With her Ashe, for obvious reasons, Annette and Mercedes. "Are you going to make sweets for the whole class again Mercie???" Annette asked with anticipation. Mercedes nods "Yes. I think it's a bummer only some might get chocolate. I mean that makes even the girl happy." -- "I think it's nice of you to do that, besides, your chocolate is very delicous ever year!" Ashe adds.   
When did they start talking about sweets? The only topic that came up is Valentines day. Apparently Mercedes noticed Felicias confusion. Sometimes She things Mercedes has a 6th sense for this kind of thing. Like a big sister. "Is something the matter, Feli?"  
"Uhh, no? But I don't get the whole chocolate talk."   
"Oh yeah! You did live sometime outside of Fodlan." the grey-haired boy comments. "What's that supposed to mean?" -- "You don't know? Girls give boys they love chocolate to valentines day!" Annette humms. "Isn't that usually the other way around? And why chocolate?" -- "Because it's as sweet as love." -- "Annie, with all due respect, I don't like sweets, nor have I ever been in love." -- "You don't really seem like the type, so that's understandable." Mercedes remarks with a smile. "Some just give chocolate as a token of friendship on Valentines." Ashe thinks "You know, like how Mercie is making chocolate for the whole class every year. Although under just 2 friends it's usually just bought chocolate."   
A short explaination of how all of that works follows.  
Felicia pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes. "So you're telling me, girls in Fodlan gift their special ones or crushes selfmade chocolate, while they only gift their friends bought chocolate," everyone noods at that "and a month later, the guys do a similar thing to girls who gave them chocolate?"   
"Yeah." her 3 friends said in uniusion, like it's basic knowledge. It's not. "Sylvain is usually top rider when it's about receiving chocolate. Followed by Ingrid for some reason."   
"It's kind of sad that you've never been in love before!"  
"Have you?" Felicia snarls back at her orange haired friend.  
"Yes I have! It's nice! Like having little butterflies in your stomach! And your heart beating faster whenever you're near that person you like!"  
"Sounds like being sick."   
"Awwe, come on! It's great!"  
Annette tried the whole rest of the week to convince Felicia how nice being in love was. As if that would make her magically fall in love with someone.

None the less, Felicia found herself in a chocolate store in the city. Everything was disgustingly decorated pink with hearts and angels, fitting for the time of the year. Most things are heart-shaped. She got a chocolate teddy for Annette. A chocolate-flower for Mercie. Some of those emoji-shaped things for Ashe.   
"What the fuck is that for?" Felicia's attention was grabbed by some out of place items. She grabs one. Fat for making chocolate. If that stuff is in chocolate, there is one more reason to keep her hands away from the stuff.   
Not one second later, one of the staff members try to sell the stuff to her. "I wouldn't even know how to make chocolate. I'm just getting some for my friends." she hisses at the young woman that is certainly much too close for comfort. "No boy to male your heart race? Around this time of year? Honey there has to be someone!" --- "So just because I'm a female individual in a chocolate store automatically means I love someone,yes? F---"she bites her tongue. "Let me shop in peace."  
Of course, the lady wants to sell stuff, so she doesn't leave her. "There must be someone! A boy to make your heart race!" -- "No, now fuck off before I leave without buying anything." -- "Nicole, let the poor girl be!" the shop owner calls out to her employee and the woman backs off. "Besides, a racing heart is something for you young girls. I for instance like to feel warm and fuzzy around my husband."  
Warm and fuzzy.  
Like Sylvain?  
Fuck.  
"Okay fine, how do I make chocolate?" Felicia hisses at the two of them, their eyes gleaming with delight.

Standing in the kitchen is just horror. Felicia can't cook what gave her that stupid idea in the first place?! That stupid shop keeper just got into her head. Fuck her. Fuck sweets. Fuck valentines. She burns herself at least 5 times that evening. And she fucks up that stuff at least 10 times. She just filled whatever she had left into one of the forms they still have at home. Felicia just never got rid of these because it's Ghibli merch. It's the bus cat because who doesn't love riding in a bus that looks like a cat. Makes the whole bus-driving-thing less terrifying if she ever just thinks about that thing. Well okay, she got over the whole thing herself eventually but still.  
Felicia didn't bother to taste it. It's sweet so she wouldn't know if it tasted good for other people.  
She needs to sleep longer after this.

[Felicia]   
-Need more sleep.  
-no training tomorrow  
[Sylvain]  
-Alright

The moment he opens his locker, chocolate is falling out. Just like the year before, the girls cracked his locker code to put some chocolate in there. Sylvain picks the packages up. All pink and decorated with hearts. All of them bought.  
You can't do anything wrong with bought chocolate. Store bought chocolate is just as shallow as he is, so that's a fair thing to gift him. He never returns something for white day. Most of these are anonym.  
He throws them away.  
Each year he get's more sick of valentines than the year before. No gift meant for him, but for his money, maybe his looks.   
He came earlier today anyway, despite Felicia not showing up like she wrote him. He didn't want to get out of rythm. He couldn't sleep anyway. He had one of these "You jist fucking died" dreams again.  
"You promised!" he heard a desperate voice calling out to him. He's probably prone to breaking them.  
He promised his brother not to let it slip to their parents.  
He did.  
Promised so many girls they where the only for him.  
They weren't.   
He promised Felicia he would never let her down.  
He tries not to break that one. He wonders when he will.  
Felicia opened up to him, but he never really opened up to her.   
Maybe he should. It would be fair. But then he would break a promise. Again.  
Arriving in the classroom, his desk was full of chocolate. He surpressed the urge to let out a sigh, instead he was gratulated for being the candy-reeler like last year by some random classmates, who envied him.  
He put on a fake grin "Hey, you take some, there is no way I can eat all of that lovely chocolate alone."   
"He's so generous!" --- "How kind of him!" he heard muffled voices in the back. Probably from the gifting girls themselves. He looks at them, giving them a smile and a wink. They fall like flies.  
"Oh, that flower looks too god too eat!"--"That bear is so cute!!" he heard Mercedes and Annette gush over some chocolate figurines. He took the freedom to walk over to them. "These look indeed pretty. They're from the chocolate store in the city, aren't those?" he leaned one hand on the back of Felicias turned chair.  
"I thought they'd like them." her golden eyes look up to him for a moment, then go back to her bag, she pulls out some small emoji-shaped chocolate and gives it to Ashe. "They didn't have anything knight shaped, sorry."   
"That's very nice of you! Thank you Felicia!" he smiled at her.  
"Oh, when you're already here!" Mercedes said, fumbling around in her bag. She pulls out a chocolate lolipop. "I made one for you too!" Mercie hands it to him. Sylvain gladly takes it. "Ah, chocolate from you is always a delight!" he bows.  
"I used dark chocolate this year." she smiles, looking at Felicia, giving her one as well. "It isn't as sweet as normal chocolate. "I really don't-- Fine." Even Felicia can't refuse the warm smile of Mercedes. "You should at least try it, they're delicious!" Annette humms, already having eaten hers. "Mercie's really good at such things. You need to teach me some day." Ashe turns to her and the trio get's into candy talk. Felicia seems less interested in that and unwraps the neatly made, heart shaped lolipop... and bites.  
She frowns. Then the frown stops.  
Sylvain, already eating his loli, looks at her kind of too closely, because she turns to him angrily "What?!" -- "So you like dark chocolate then?"   
"It isn't as sweet as the other stuff. It's okay."  
Sylvain get's a glimpse into Felicias open bag. There is still some wrapped chocolate inside. "More friendship chocolate?" he says, eyeing it.  
She looks at him with wide eyes and kicks the bag back to her seat without any second thought. "No."  
"I didn"t know you had a crush, then." Sylvain winks at her playfully.  
"I don't. It's not chocolate." she looks away.  
"What is it then?" he glimpses at her with curious eyes.  
\---  
"It's a fucking disaster." is what she wanted to say while Sylvains big brown eyes stare holes into her. Curious for the chocolate.  
A fucking nightmare. Not that he would laugh over how the thing is shaped. It's perfectly Bus cat shaped and Felicia spent a week sleeping in his room, she knows he likes at least that movie. Who doesn't fucking love the bus cat? He has a fucking plush of this. Buried under his bed, but she's seen it. It looked old though. Maybe it was from his childhood. Why would you bury something like that beneath your bed instead of throwing it away, when you didn't like it anymore?  
Sylvain didn't get an answer out of her.  
"Awe, no chocolate for me then? I'm hurt!" he fakes with a smile. "You got enough to give it away, don't be such a baby!" she hisses at him. Him and his stupid grin. His stupid, covered up freckles. His fucking flames of hair.  
It feels so familiar and warm, but she doesn't know why.   
He'd laugh at her if she told him that. So she doesn't. 

\---

Felicia didn't care if it was valentines or not. She went to train anyway, so Sylvain followed her. No girl would go here on valentines day. Trainingshall was empty. Sylvain somehow managed to shake off the girls.  
"It's valentines and you still want to train."  
"Like I figured, nobody's here. Also I missed to train in the morning." Felicia changes her shoes and grabs a wooden sword. Sylvain follows, grabing one of the lances.  
As always, Felicias moves are hard to avoid and block, but today she's in top form. He stopped counting how many times his lance was knocked out of his hands that afternoon.   
The problem with her was always, that she didn't purely rely on her sword. Or at least she stopped doing that over the course of the last year. Every so often, she would pull Sylvains leg with her leg, causing him to fall and so on. It was dirty. "Nobody cares on a battlefield if you're fighting dirty or not." was her response to that. Sylvain has to remind her every so often, that none of them will be placed on a battlefield. Ever. Didn't stop her from fighting like that though.   
His lance flew spiraling high into the air, when he was knocked down again.  
"That's a 10/10 for me today." Felicia grinned at him with bloodlust in her eyes, holding the wooden sword under his chin with both hands.  
Then the little thing called gravity did it's thing. His lance, previously in the air, smashed tip first into Felicias back. A small yelp escaped her, before she fell over, eyes closed. Knocked out. It must have hit a certain point.   
"Oh damn." Sylvain manuvered out under Felicia's limb body and lied her down flat on the ground. Slapped her face lightly a few times and calling out her name, trying to wake her up.   
Nope. She was out cold. Probably for a while. That's the second time she fell for that trick now.  
Sylvain looks over to her bag, curiosity killed the cat. He wanted to know if that really was chocolate or not. He stood up and walked over, checking if Felicia was still out. She was. He opens the bag.  
Alot of school stuff and there. Plastic wrapper with blue stripes. A small piece of paper on that. "Sylvain"   
So it WAS for him. He takes the thing out.   
Oh hey, it's the bus cat! How did she know he liked that thing? Where did she get that? Doesn't look like it's from the same store she bought the chocolate for Annette and the others.   
He closes the bag again and walks over to Felicia. "You thought you could hide that from me huh?" He unwraps the chocolate and, first things first, makes a photo of it. After putting his phone away, he takes a bite while he waits for the sword-girl to wake up again.  
He chokes. It was bitter. Burnt. Really burnt. He kept himself from spitting it out and gulps the bite he just had down instead. He really didn't want to clean the floor of the trainings hall.  
In the aftermath, a hint of cinnamon was left on his tongue. But not the nice kind. The kind of "just took a full spoon of cinnamon" kind.   
Where did she buy that?! It must have been a super cheap store or some--...  
Sylvain looks at Felicia.  
Nah. He vanishes the thought. She wouldn't. Why would she. Should he ask her, if she made that herself? She'll probably be mad that he took it.   
He can feel his face grow hot just thinking about the idea. Which is a stupid idea. He gets up again and puts it into his backpack.  
Don't think about it. She wouldn't. Not after the girls explicitly explained to her, what the meaning of that would be. No. Nope. Nada.   
She wouldn't. Absolutely not!  
She said it before herself, they where best friends, right? She wouldn't fall in love with her best friend, right. HE wouldn't fall in love with his best friend, right?  
He looks at Felicia.  
....  
Right? 


	7. Chapter 7

Felicia never talked about him taking the chocolate.  
Maybe she didn't notice? Maybe she didn't care.  
He gave her headphones for whiteday, bit disguised it as "I completely forgot your birthday, here, a late birthday gift." That kind of unsmooth smooth talking.  
He stopped flirting with girls. None where his type.  
They missed the bus after training. Felicia started to walk.  
"You're walking home?" Sylvain was surprised, but he followed her. "I either wait 1 hour for the bus or I walk. Walking is faster." she replied flatly "Also the weather is nice."-- "That's true I suppose."  
It was spring all over. April and May went by so fast, it was almost summer again. 4th of june.  
They walked and talked over random stuff. The lessons, training, the sword Felicia wants to buy next.   
She had so many interests. When he stopped trying to get girls into bed, he noticed pretty quickly how boring he actually was. Like being a flirt was his only personality trait. He couldn't bother Felicia 24/7, so he just listened to music the whole time.   
"You've been awfully quiet with your annoying lady-stories lately."  
"Don't tell me you enjoyed those?" he winks at her. Felicia rolls her eyes. "Fuck no. I just observed."  
"Well, I stopped that kind of thing."   
It earned him wide eyes from Feli. "You? Mr. "I make them fall for me like flies for a sweet rope"?"   
"Yeah. I'm kind of done with it." he looks at her.  
"And why is that? Noticed, that they never really liked you?"-- "My good Feli you're hurting me. I'm not THAT stupid. I just got tired of it."  
"Ah, by the way." she switches the topic. "By the way?"  
"The bus cat."  
Sylvain freezes in place. She asked. She noticed. What will happen now?  
"Hey continue walking, I'm not planning on taking roots!" Felicia hisses at him. Sylvain places his hands into his neck and started walking again. As if nothing happend. "That about the bus cat?" -- "I saw a plush of it under your bed when you forced me to sleep in your bed."   
Oh. Some of the worry swept from Sylvain like a wave. "Oh that thing. Just an old plush. Didn't even know I still owned that." A lie. He just never wanted to look at it again.  
"You do. And I kind of doubt you forgot. It's pretty clean under your bed." -- "You snoop!" -- "YOU shut up about snooping!"   
"Okay you got me. It was a birthday present from my brother when I was little." -- "You have a brother?" Sylvain noods. "Yeah. I'm kind of the reason he got thrown out." -- "Oh." -- "I think he just wants me dead, and I can wholeheartedly understand him."  
This time around, Sylvain starts to talk.

He was 5 when Miklan gave him that plush. They always watched that movie it came from, so it made little Sylvain happy.  
He was 10 when he came home, catching Miklan kissing another boy. He promised not to tell their parents.  
They got into an argument just a few weeks later. Sylvain let it slip. He broke the promise he made to his brother.   
Miklan was thrown out that evening. The hateful stare he got from his older brother was something that carved into his mind forever.  
After Miklan left, Sylvain noticed how fake the love of his parents was. It wasn't real. They just wanted the perfect son. They didn't have it with Miklan.   
They endured his flirting with girls, because it was better than being gay.  
He never had something against people who choose their path for themselves.   
He noticed fast enough that the most girls where nice to him because he was rich.   
Maybe at first, because he looked good. Then they found out he was rich. He never liked any of them. Only the temporary feeling of warmth he got from passionate nights with strangers.

"Sylvain." Felicia looked at him, a slight look of worry showing up from behind her usually cold façade. "Hmh?" he looks back at her, she gives him a tissue. He was the one crying now. He takes the tissue and whipes his tears away. "Fuck... Thanks." he felt his voice tremble.  
"I guess we both have our own worries to carry along." They continue to walk.  
"Guess that's true." he replied, trying to stop the tears.   
"Want a tea?" Felicia stops, pointing at her house.  
"Sure."   
They both went inside. Felicias father wasn't home, good thing, probably. Expect from the way from the door to Felicias room, he never saw the place. It's not decorated mich, but it's pretty modern, in contrast to Sylvains house, which has pretty old school interior design.   
They both threw their schoolbags into the same corner of the kitchen and Sylvain took place om one of the bar-stools at a counter. It doesn't look like this was made for people sharing a meal. "What kind of tea do you want?"-- "I dunno, what do you have?" Sylvains hand was on his chin, his arm on the counter. Felicia just placed the tea box in front of him. "Suit yourself." She said and got two porcelain cups made for tea out of the eery modern shelves. He gave her a tea bag and she just pressed a button on a coffee machine for hot water.   
Both cups are placed on the table. "Out of all teas, you choose the christmas one." Felicia scoffs, blowing over the edge of her cup to cool it off, a hint of cinnamon in the air. "And you didn't?" -- "I like cinnamon." -- "Me too."  
Silence. Sylvain broke it first. Time to open THAT bottle of worms. "At least in small amounts. Not when it tastes like a burnt cinnamon disaster." Sylvain couldn't surpress a smile.  
Felicia chokes on her tea. "FUCKING SOTHIS! YOU *DID* TAKE THE CHOCOLATE!" She shouts at him angrily, putting her hands on the counter and jumping up, ready to kill him.

Sylvain shrugs am laughs, as Felicia's face turns red.  
"Hey I was courious and it *was* labeled with my name." 

\---

He's impossible! Felicia thought it got out of her bag when she kicked it to her seat and it turns out the fucker just TOOK it! As fast as she jumped up, just as fast she sunk down into the stool again. Her face in now crossed arms. Her face feels hot. Hot of embarrassment. "That was never supposed to get to you!" she muffled into her arms. "So you did make it yourself?" --- "Fuck you." that's the best equivalent of a yes she could give that moment. Good to know it tasted horrible. That's why she never intended to give it to him in the first place. "It was just a stupid experiment, the shopkeepers of the store sold me one of those chocolate kits and I just... it would have been waste of money not to make some with it." all comes out muffled, even for her. "Why didn't you just give it to me?" -- "You got enough chocolate that day. Figured one less wouldn't bother you." -- "It kind of did." the response came pretty quiet. "No it didn't you selfloving--" Felicia stops as she looks up. Sylvain didn't look at her. He looked uneasy. Maybe sad. The frown on his face makes it hard to decipher which one.  
A long silence followed that. Both of them finished their tea. A glint of uneasiness in the air. Sylvain stood up and opened his mouth to say something. Felicia cut him off.  
"I'm sorry." she said quietly, only for him to hear. His eyes widen. "What for?" it came as innocent as a child would ask. "For ruining this friendship?" she looked away.   
Felicias heart was ready to just die on the spot. The warm feeling she had before started to get ripped away by something cold and clammy. She held her urge to let tears flow. Something she only could do in front of Sylvain.  
She noticed how he went around the counter and sat beside her. She looked at him. His face worried.  
\--  
Felicia looked at him like she wanted to cry. Her expression was a mix of worry and fear. "First of all," he started "you didn't ruin this friendship. But I might." he's never seen a face shift so fast out of worry and then back into it. "Can you listen to what I have to say, Felicia?"   
She noods. No turning back.  
"Okay. Listen. I kind of figured you made the chocolate yourself. No bought chocolate tastes like that. But I ended up eating the whole thing and I don't know why."   
"You ate the whole disaster?!" Felicia was almost impressed. Sylvain noods.  
"Yeah okay, I kind of know why I did that. Feli, I have the feeling, whenever we interact, we already know each other for years. It sounds stupid. I know. We only know each other like one year. But I..." Sylvain notices a loose strand in Felicias hair that fell into her face. He fixes it for her, tucking it behind her ear. "I kind of... find you endearing."  
Felicias bright gold eyes stare at him, wide with surprise, like she doesn't believe what she's hearing. Her cheeks flushed pink.   
Sylvain just knows that his cheeks are the hottest they've ever been and his heart races from all the nervosity running through him.  
"Can we... try to date?" Sylvain chokes out quietly, scared of the response.

Whatever moment would have come to pass, it was interrupted by an unlocking door. Both Sylvain and Felicia looked at her father like deers caught in headlight.   
"You're already back?!" Felicia cries out in surprise. Sylvain sees that his hand, that was previously in Felicias hair, gets back to himself.  
"I got off early..." he looks over to Sylvain, in stern confusion. Felicia intercepts the glare of his father. "You want tea too?" she asks him. Not hissing, but like a normal girl. It feels so off.  
"Tea?" -- "Yes! Tea! I invited Sylvain over for some."   
Sylvain just waves stiffly at him. Great. Whatever her answer would have been, he doesn't get to hear it for the next days.   
"I thought I told you I didn't want you to have boys over. Best friend or not." -- "Father, I'm 18, I'm pretty sure I'm old enough to have male friends." Her dad opened his mouth, only to be cut off by his daughter. "If it was Dimitri you weren't against it so much." -- "Because Dimitri is a nice, young gentleman who knows how to keep his hands to himself."  
Sylvain looks away. He saw. Fuck. Felicia had nothing to say against that. Not after new years she doesn't.  
Sylvain stands up and walks over to the two. Her father is surprisingly small, compared to himself that is. Mr. Fraldarius is barely taller than his daughter. "Mr. Fraldarius," Sylvain starts. He doesn't know where to go from here, if he is completely honest. Probably an apology for new years is due. "I'd like to apologize for what happened new years. I didn't plan on drinking that much and when I wanted to bring Felicia home safely, I ended up being the one under weather. Your daughter just wanted to help me." -- "Doesn't change the fact that she didn't even tell me." Sylvain looked to Felicia, she looked away. He turned back to her father. "She only came along on my inventation. If someone's to blame, that's on me. I hope you may forgive me? I wouldn't let anything happen to her, ever. I swear!" Sylvain tried to look determined, but he most likely looked like a big puppy trying to beg for a bone. Said bone being the forgiveness of Felicias father.   
"I'll write you next time I'm going out at night...." Felicia adds quietly, trying to soothe her father.  
A moment of silence. "Your last name..." the man starts, putting a hand onto his chin, looking at Sylvain closely. "could it be Gautier?"  
Uh-oh. Sylvain laughs nervous. "Don't tell me I'm that famous! Haha...ha..."  
Great!  
Not!!  
The scary man laughs. "No, but on second glance, you DO look like your Father."  
"I-- what?" Sylvain's confused. So is Felicia. Both stare at her father like he's a magical, rare being, while he laughs.  
"I used to be best friends with your father when we were younger!" he pats Sylvain on the back and leads him back into the kitchen. "Tell me, is your mother still sich a nightmare to be around?"   
Sylvain couldn't help but laugh himself. "So she was always one?"  
Felicia made some new tea and the 3 sat together and talked. Okay. Sylvain and Archille talked. Felicia just sat beside Sylvain and listened to them.  
"But why aren't you friends with Sylvain's father anymore?" Felicia inquired, curiosity leaking from her now again cold expression. Archille stopped in his tracks, the he looked at Sylvain, sadly.  
"We didn't have much contact after we started to move around. Come to think of it, you two could have been friends way earlier, but Sylvains mother didn't like me alot, so he never came over to play with you, Dimitri and Ingrid."  
\--"I think it was better that way. I'm mostly avoiding both in school now. Mostly Dimitri."  
"Figures, you can hold a grudge for ages, how I know of own experience."  
The air grew cooler instantly. More intense. "I'll never let you live those words down." Felicia frowns.   
"Felicia I told you, I didn't--" -- "Save it. I don't need it." One could literally feel how Felicia grew angry again.  
"SO anyway!" Sylvain cut in "You stopped contact to my father completely? Why?"  
"Because your parents did something, that parents should never do." -- "That would be?" Felicias head tilted.   
"Judging your child for whom you choose to love."  
Sylvain felt a cold shower running over his back. He instinctively put bis fist in front of his mouth, staring down his teacup. Felicias father broke contact after he found out what happened with Miklan.  
Felicia looked over to Sylvain.   
He felt uneasy all of a sudden. He can still recall that evening like it was yesterday.

\-----

Sylvains eyes where as dark like they where a few hours ago, when he told Felicia about the whole thing. It made her feel bad.  
"You can still apologize to him, you know?" -- "If I ever see him again. Not that he would hear it anyway."   
"Why don't you stay over for dinner, Sylvain?" her father purposes. "For take out? Really?" -- "I can cook."-- "You can't cook for shit we both know that."--"You don't know that." -- "I do. I will remember those horrible spagetti for my entire life."-- "They weren't THAT horrible." --"You confused salt with sugar. They where old man."  
She could hear how Sylvain was surpressing a laugh. Good. Goal archived. She wished he would laugh out loud. She liked his laugh.  
"If we're having take out, I want sushi." She laid out flat and Sylvains face colored white. "Feli that's--" he tried to get her away from that idea, but her father also interrupted. "Sushi's expensive." -- "You act like we don't live in a big house with a super modern kitchen, none of us can use by the way, and are poor people. We're having sushi." her father sighs, and he relents. She looks at Sylvain. "So, what do you want?" -- "Feli I couldn't possibly--" She interrupts him. "You can and you will. It's only fair, after you payed for me a whole week. What do you want?"  
Sylvain sighs and relents. It's only fair. She hates it not to pay back depts, even if he said it was fine and he didn't want it.   
"But to be honest, I never ate sushi before. You choose." he looked at her with a troubled expression. It's a friday, it could be a long evening. An evening she has to spend with also her father if she's to convince him that Sylvain stays over, which he doesn't know himself yet. She'd like to give him the answer to that choked out question today if possible. But no way she would give him that in front of her old man.  
The sushi arrived at 7PM, together with a bottle of sake her father ordered alongside it. She doesn't drink that stuff, but Sylvain didn't say no when offered. Probably because he didn't want to be rude. At least she thinks so, since he DID hesitate for a moment. It was late, when they finished that ridiculously big bottle of sake. It didn't smell.   
"It's getting late, maybe I should--" Felicia cuts Sylvain off "Why don't you stay the night? You shouldn't go outside when you're drunk." she throws at his head coldly, like it's the most normal thing to do. Sylvains eyes widen in shock.   
The proposal earns her a stern look from her father. "Feli I-I'm not that drunk." -- "The moment you're hit with fresh air you'll be under weather again. You're staying."  
Flat lie. He wouldn't.   
"And where do you propose he'd stay? We don't have a couch." -- "My room? It's not like that would be the first time he was in there."  
"Felicia." her father glares at her.  
Sylvain get's up fast. "I..-I think I need to visit the bathroom for a few minutes?" Sylvain looks at her father, who gibes him the directions, then he excuses himself, leaving the kitchen.  
"Felicia, what are you planning. Do you want this discussion again?"  
She scoffs "Gladly! But without the punchlines under the belt this time!"  
Then she hears the bathroom door lock and leans over the counter, staring at her dad, determined.  
"Okay listen." she says quietly "Before you came home, he asked me if we, me and Sylvain, could try and start dating, and frankly enough, I'm inclined to say yes to that. But I want to tell this to him today, or I'll be unable to, at least that's what my gut is telling me."  
"You and-- Felicia!" her father whispered back. "While the two of you are in your room, you have to be kidding me!"  
"No. I'm not. And I don't plan on getting it on with him tonight, so you don't worry about that. Okay? Okay. Remeber when I used the kitchen in february? I made chocolate. I made it for *him*. It sucked. He ate all of it. He told me that today."  
"I don't care Felicia. As nice as he might be, he will not stay over."   
"He will. This is not a discussion. That man ate a whole bus cat sized bar of chocolate that probably tasted like a spoon full cinnamon with each bite. For me!"  
Her father takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Cinnamon?" -- "Yes, what about it?!"   
"Fine. He can stay. But I DO NOT, for the love of sothis, want to hear any suspicious noises."   
"Fuck no. Trust me, if I wanted to do that, it wouldn't be here. Not that I ever wanted to do that as of now."

After a few minutes, Sylvain came back from the bathroom, ready to snatch his bag and leave. "Well, I should go now.." he say, nervosity in his voice, already bowing to leave.

"I told you, you can stay the night. It's late." She insists again. "But-" he looks over fo her father. "It's okay."  
"I-it is?!" -- "I was able to convince him." -- "What? How?"  
"I knows I'm not taking any orders from him." She stands up from her stool and moves to him. Let's head up to my room, we need to talk." Felicia basically pushes Sylvain up the stairs into her room and flicks the lights on, closes the door behind her. He stays still in the middle of the room like he wasn't here once already.   
"Drop your bag wherever."  
Sylvain turns around to her. "Feli are you sure about this? Maybe I should go home..."  
"You're not leaving before I give you the answer for that question from before." Felicia walks over to her desk and gets a tissue, giving it to Sylvain.  
"Uh-oh..." he let's out quietly. "What uh-oh? That's for your face, you're not rubbing off your damn foundation into my bed again." -- "I'm not wearing make up!" he protests. "Nice try shithead, I know you cover up your freckles." -- "Because they're stupid." -- "No they're not."   
His eyes widen again. "You like them?" he starts whiping off the make up on his face, letting his freckles show underneath. She smiles. Or at least she thinks she does she never knows if she smiles when she thinks she's smiling. "Yes. They look good on you."   
"O--oh." without the make up, she can finally see how his face turns red while he looks at her.   
"So to that question from before." She steps directly in front of Sylvain, looking up to him. "I would..." she chokes on her own words. Confidence gone as suddenly as it came over her. "I--I would.."  
Fuck, why was this so hard all of a sudden?!   
Sylvain looks at her with expectation.   
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.  
She's sure her face is turning as red as she thinks it does.  
"O-okay listen you fucking moron." great start Felicia, great start. This will go downhill.  
"I'm only saying this once, so i-if you're not listening, that's your fault!"  
Shit.  
"I won't promise that anything between us will change greatly. I'm me after all. B-but-- I... kind of get the notion. Like, it DOES feel like we already know each other for years. It's not stupid. It's nice." She starts to look down. "I... you... you make me all feel warm and fuzzy, okay? Okay. Okay?"

\---

That was the weirdest confession ever. Warm and fuzzy? That sounds so cute. He couldn't help but smile at her. "Shouldn't you usually feel like your heart is racing?" he laughs.  
"The fuck does that ever come from?! I don't want someone to make me feel like I'm going to have a goddess damned heart attack every time I'm near them! I want someone to make me feel safe!" She hisses at him. She goes soft again right after that. "You make me feel safe."  
"Safe huh?" Sylvain repeats, wrapping his arms around the indigo haired girl, pulling her closer to him. "That sounds nice." he whispers into her ears "I like the sound of that."  
Felicia makes some unidentifiable noises at that. They sound like a mix of angry and embarrassed.   
"W-we're going to keep this a secret though." his new girlfriend hesitates. "Because half of the girls at school will kill you if they find out?"  
"P-pretty much. Also I don't want THOSE three gushing over us and then it doesn't work out...."  
"It'll work out. I know that. But we can keep it a secret for a while if that's your wish."  
Sylvain feels her arms going around his upper body, her hands on his back. "Please."  
A clock makes a noise. Midnight. Sylvain humms. "You know what's today?"  
"Happy birthday Sylvain."   
"Thanks."   
They cuddle in her bed that night.


End file.
